Quality Open Access Research

Physiological Reports Publishes issue 1.2

Physiological Reports has now closed its latest issue. Below are the articles which have been highlighted by Editor-in-Chief Susan Wray from this issue:

The distribution of the preferred directions of the ON–OFF direction selective ganglion cells in the rabbit retina requires refinement after eye opening
Ya-Chien Chan and Chuan-Chin ChiaoSummary: The present study shows that the preferred directions of selective ganglion cells (DSGCs) at around the time of eye opening are not distinctly segregated but rather are diffusely distributed along four canonical axes. We also demonstrate that the diffuse pattern of preferred direction distribution does not correlate with the directional tuning strength of DSGCs, indicating that the maturations of direction selectivity and preferred direction are independent processes. Our finding indicates that four subtypes of DSGCs undergo significant refinement after eye opening to reach their adult form.

Decreased stability of erythroblastic islands in integrin β3-deficient mice
Zhenghui Wang, Olga Vogel, Gisela Kuhn, Max Gassmann and Johannes VogelSummary: Erythropoiesis, a quite unique biological process, creates the only a-nucleated cell of our body, the red blood cell (RBC). It crucially requires a specialized microstructure called erythroblastic island (EI) for timing of erythroblast differentiation including extrusion of the nucleus and release of the young RBCs into the circulation. Here we provide new and unexpected data as to a role of integrin β3 for timing the final detachment of young RBCs from EI. For example membranes of peripheral RBCs of integrin β3 deficient mice contained calnexin, a chaperone that is normally completely lost during terminal differentiation of reticulocytes prior to their release into the circulation.